Chanel will not appeal fine in copy case

PARIS - French fashion giant Chanel said Wednesday it was not appealing a 200,000-euro fine slapped by a court for stealing a design from a knitwear supplier, bringing to an end a David versus Goliath case.

"The house of Chanel has taken a decision not to lodge an appeal. It is of the view that this ...very complex and specific case must end," a terse statement said.

A Paris court in September overturned a 2009 ruling clearing Chanel and slapped the fine, saying the house had designed a vest that was a "slavish copy" of a crochet design by the local knitwear company.

The case pitted World Tricot, a now-bankrupt small firm that manufactured high-end knits, against Chanel and was seen as a test of the rights enjoyed by skilled artisans toiling in a luxury industry dominated by the big players.

World Tricot founder Carmel Colle was seeking 2.5 million euros (3.7 million dollars) from Chanel for alleged counterfeit after she spotted in a shop window a Chanel vest with a crochet design that she claimed was hers.

The simple cable design with black edging had been previously submitted to Chanel's studio and rejected, Colle claims.

In 2009, the Paris commercial tribunal ruled that Chanel had not stolen the design although it did order it to pay 400,000 euros in damages to World Tricot for breaking the contract.